Deontay Wilder, whose perfect record of 31-0-0 includes 31 knockout victories, is the mandatory challenger for Bermane Stiverne WBC heavyweight championship. Progress on getting plans together to have the fight has been slow, however, and Wilder will be taking on Jason Gavern on August 16 in a tune up bout.
The 37-year-old Gavern is 25-16-4 in his 45 pro bouts, with 11 of those wins coming by way of knockout. From November 2011 to August 2013 Gavern suffered seven straight losses, and he was knocked out in five of them. Since that stretch he has won four of his last five fights, most recently topping James Toney in November 2013. He is a 25-to-1 underdog for Saturday's bout.
Stiverne's manager calls Wilder "a clown."
Despite a shaky resume, the undefeated Wilder said he isn't looking past Gavern toward the inevitable Stiverne fight. "My motivations is fighting for a world title," Wilder said.
"I need to go into the ring and take care of my opponent on August 16. I have to fight to win and succeed in order to provide for my family."
Some intrigue might be derived from the short notice on which Wilder took the fight. He has noted that this training camp was perhaps the shortest of his career.
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"Everything has been going as planned. This has probably been one of the shortest training camps I've had. That thrills me though. A lot of fighters claim to be athletes but on the night of the fight, I'll show exactly how athletic and ready I am," Wilder said.
Stiverne injured his hand knocking down Chris Arreola in his most recent title defense, so there's currently no timetable for a fight with Wilder.
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